Through Better or Worse
by HermioneHarryPotter
Summary: Hermione's been bitten by Lupin and she experiences pain and rejection. Harry seems to be the only one she can count on. Slight Weasley bashing. H/Hr
1. Intro: Mooney

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling**

**Summary****:** Hermione is bitten by Lupin the night Pettigrew escapes, plunging her into a world of pain and rejection. She needs her two best friends now more than ever. But, when Ron falters, she turns to Harry for solace. They both begin to realize that they have different feelings for each other than they thought. Will it tear their trio apart? Will Hermione learn to survive the harsh life she now lives?

This is my first story. I'm not asking you to go easy on me, just keep it in mind. Also, this is only an intro, tell me if I should keep going. I'd like at least one review before I post chapter one. Thanks for reading!

Intro

_ The clouds parted, revealing the full moon. It cast odd shadows on an even odder group. One halted abruptly, a shabby-looking man in a very worn cloak. Realization dawned on the only girl amongst the lot's face. The man, known to the world as Remus Lupin, began to shake violently. Another man, gaunt and shallow in appearance, ran to Lupin, grasping him firmly as his body elongated. _

_ "RUN!" the other man, also known as Sirius Black, yelled, "RUN!"_

_ But the other members of the group stood frozen in fright. One was floating eerily, a man with greasy, black hair. He did not appear to be conscious. This was Severus Snape. The only girl, Hermione Granger, grasped a boy with black hair and stunning green eyes' hand. The boy was Harry Potter. Another boy, this one with flaming red hair and freckles, named Ron Weasley, had his mouth slightly open in terror, his eyes bulging from their sockets. Finally, a short man with a large bald spot on the top of his head, called Peter Pettigrew, grabbed what appeared to be a stick from the ground. _

_ Lupin, at that point, was unrecognizable. He was at least six feet tall, with gray skin, no clothes, and a wolfish face. His arms and legs looked too long for his body and he bared vicious fangs. Sirius, also, was not human any longer. He'd transformed into a great, black dog. The two friends leaped at each other, slashing with claws and tearing with teeth. Whilst the full moon was out, they were friends no more._

_ Pettigrew, meanwhile, took advantage of the chaos and blasted Ron to the ground. He then shrunk, turning into a small rat that scuttled away towards a forest. Harry's head whipped around, trying to follow the rat's path. But, just at that moment, Lupin threw Sirius from him and turned to face Harry and Hermione. Harry blocked Hermione, trying to keep her safe. Lupin slashed Harry's face, throwing him aside. He lay on the grass, semi-conscious, lifting his head to see Hermione. Her eyes locked with his just before Lupin lunged at her. She threw her arm up to block him, but his jaws clamped firmly on it right below her elbow. Hermione screamed a dreadful scream, and it pierced Harry like physical pain._

_ Snape regained consciousness and immediately shot the werewolf with his wand. He scampered away into the forest. Harry's last memory before losing consciousness was the dreadful cold that was sweeping through his entire body and of Hermione, looking at him with yellow, wolfish eyes._


	2. One: Look at Me

**A/N: **Wow, haven't written in a while. Most of you probably forgot about this story all together. I've been really busy and I still am busy, so don't expect this story to rush along. I'm really sorry about not updating, I'll try, I really will. Please let me know if you're still interested!

Everything was foggy. Nothing seemed right.

Her bones ached. Her skin felt stretched. Her muscles were sore.

She couldn't see, couldn't hear.

When she tried to move her arm, it just twitched.

She felt exhausted, like she'd run miles.

She couldn't think straight. Her head throbbed when she tried to remember what had happened to cause this.

All that mattered was that Harry needed her, he was hurt somewhere. And Ron, what about Ron? No, he was fine. She knew he was fine.

But Harry wasn't.

His eyes. She'd seen the pain in his eyes.

But why? Why was he in pain?

Something was happening now.

Her stomach lurched. This was not normal.

Pain like no other gripped her. She felt as if she was being sliced open.

She began to lose her grip on reality, she could no longer remember her name.

Her eyes opened. They shone yellow.

She strained against the bonds that tied her. She clawed at the feather mattress underneath her. A ripping noise sliced the otherwise silent ward. Several white feathers floated lazily to the ground.

_Dementors. Too many to count. They swarmed Harry, circling around him. _

"_Expecto Patronum!" he yelled._

_Silver vapor seemed to spurt out of his wand, but vanished almost instantly. A rushing noise filled his ears. His stomach was clenched in a cold fist. His mind was numb. A scream pierced Harry's heart. But it wasn't his mother's._

_It was Hermione's._

_The dream shifted. He was in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. It was completely empty except for a sleek, black cupboard that sat in the center of the room. It gave a frightening lurch. _

"_Alohomora," Harry muttered, pointing his wand at the lock._

_The door slid open smoothly and black smoke billowed out. Harry stepped back several feet. Hermione fell out of the opening, landing on all fours in front of Harry. She raised her head and looked at him with curious eyes. _

_Out of nowhere, a werewolf smacked her across the face so that she was lying on her back. It didn't hesitate to sink its teeth into her arm. She screamed. Harry couldn't move. He just stood transfixed with a mixture of horror and anger welling up inside him. Instead, he raised his wand._

"_R-riddikulus!" he shouted, his voice quavering._

_The visions of Hermione cowering under the werewolf vanished. They were replaced by Hermione and Ron, smiling at each other. But it was wrong. They were close. Too close. And they were getting closer. _

"_STOP!" Harry bellowed._

_But they didn't even flinch. Hermione flung herself into Ron's arms and their lips met._

_Harry let out a roar of frustration. He couldn't even explain where it came from. _

_He slashed his wand in their direction. They were flung apart by the force of his spell, ripped apart. Maybe that explained the ripping noise..._

Harry's eyes fluttered open. He squeezed them shut almost immediately, trying to remember his dream. Dementors. There were dementors in it. And werewolves. And...Ron. Ron and Hermione. Together. Hermione. With Ron.

But there was something else. About Hermione. And the werewolf.

Suddenly, Harry remembered. The events of the night before flooded him. His head throbbed. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. As he lowered them, he felt something on his cheek. He ran his fingers along the grooves.

_That was where Lupin slashed me, _Harry thought.

He opened his eyes. The cold, stone ceiling stared back at him. He lowered his hands, feeling the sheets underneath him. Voices. They were outside. Harry strained to hear them.

"Albus, I must ask you one more time," Cornelius Fudge said, sounding as if he was trying to restrain from shouting, "Where is Sirius Black?"

"Now, Minister," the calm voice of Dumbledore replied, "As you well know, I was with you in the castle when Sirius Black escaped. I helped him no more than you did."

"Potter, I want to question Potter," Fudge continued, seemingly flustered.

"Oh no!" Madam Pomfrey objected, "I'm very sorry Minister, but Potter's been through quite the ordeal. He's my patient and he needs rest!"

Harry raised himself to a sitting position in his bed. After scrambling for his glasses, he jammed them unto his face. The hospital wing finally came into focus. The double doors were slightly ajar. Across the ward, curtains were pulled shut around another bed.

Harry slid his legs over the side of the mattress. He attempted to stand up, but a wave of nausea prevented him. A soft moan escaped his lips. Looking around wildly, he realized it had been much louder then he'd thought. Madam Pomfrey marched over to him.

"Lie down, boy!" she barked, "The cuts on your face are enough to be getting on with!"

"What about Hermione?" he asked hastily, lying back down.

"Well...erm...perhaps the headmaster..." Madam Pomfrey mumbled, then, raising her voice to a shout, "HEADMASTER!"

"Yes, Poppy?" Albus Dumbledore's face appeared in the small crack in the doorway, his eyes twinkling.

"Potter's awake," she said matter-of-factly.

"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore said upon noticing him, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, but..." Harry replied, trailing off. What should he ask first?

Dumbledore strode over to him, conjured a comfy, chintz armchair out of midair, and sank into it.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked immediately, his mind made up.

"Behind those very curtains, but," Dumbledore continued, as Harry made a move to get up, "she most likely won't recognize you."

"What - why?" Harry asked, making no move to lie back down.

"Harry, she was bitten by a werewolf," Dumbledore answered calmly, "and, as you know from your studies this year, there is no antidote."

"But, she's not - NO!" Harry shouted, comprehension dawning on his face, his world crashing on top of him, "No, not Hermione! That wouldn't...she's too...no, she'd recognize me...why can't...what about the wolfsbane potion? And it's not even the full moon? Why now?"

"Ah, alas, she is at a very delicate phase," Dumbledore sighed, "Once one is bitten, the body adjusts to the poison inside of it. But, it cannot do so easily. Ms. Granger will be slipping between human and werewolf for a few days. Then, she'll recover during the daylight. The moon, however, will trigger the transformations again. She'll remain in the hospital wing for at least two weeks until her nights are generally stable. As to your question on the wolfsbane potion," Dumbledore plunged on as Harry opened his mouth, "it has no effect unless it is the full moon."

Harry was falling, everything was going black. The bottom had dropped out from under him. He felt hot tears running down the fresh scars on his face, but he didn't care. Hermione. A werewolf. She wouldn't even recognize him.

_No, _a voice in Harry's head said, _She loves you. You're like her brother. You mean too much to her. She will recognize you. Or she'll fight it._

Hope surged through Harry's body. The hospital ward came back into focus.

"I still want to see her, sir." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Dumbledore sighed. He stood, and after appearing to strain with himself for a moment, replied, "If you really want to, I cannot stand in your way."

"Thank you, Professor!" Harry exclaimed exasperatedly.

Harry stood up again, ignoring the nauseating feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't quite sure the feeling was entirely caused by the cuts on his face. After stumbling towards the curtains, he froze. Hermione was moaning.

He wrenched the curtains open. There Hermione lay, secured down with leather straps, wearing a white hospital gown. The first thing Harry noticed was her arm. Lupin's teeth had left deep slices. They were still an angry red. But, her hand distracted him. Starting around the wrist, the skin was a pale grey, flushing into a deeper grey by her fingers. Claws had replaced the fingernails.

Harry tore his gaze away and looked at her face. Her lips were parted slightly, revealing even larger than normal teeth that were pointed at the end. Her eyes were closed, her ears pointed and the same shade of grey as her hand. Halfway down her neck, her skin flushed grey as well, disappearing into the gown.

"Hermione?" Harry whispered warily, "Hermione, please..."

Hermione's eyes fluttered open, yellow. She turned her head towards him, blinking as if trying to understand something.

"Hermione, can you..." Harry began, trailing off.

She began to struggle against the bonds. Only then did Harry notice slashes in the sheets and mattress. Her eyes narrowed in anger and she bared her teeth at him.

"NO!" Harry yelled, much stronger than he felt, "No, Hermione, stop! It's me, Harry! Your best friend, your brother! LOOK AT ME!" Harry crumpled, sobbing into his hands.

He didn't know how long he sat there, letting tears fall into his palms, but Harry slowly became aware of the silence of the ward. Lowering his hands, he dared a glance at Hermione. She was staring at him with yellow eyes, looking confused and surprised. Harry tried to meet her gaze, but he couldn't bear it.

He looked up again quickly. The yellow was slowly fading into a warm, chocolate brown.

"Hermione?" he croaked once more, his body becoming light, the heavy weight lifting off his heart.

She stared blankly back at him. It all came crashing back, crushing him, suppressing him. Harry dropped his head, tears once again leaking down his face, falling silently into his lap. He felt constricted, deflated. Closing his eyes, he felt himself slipping away.

"H-Harry?" a soft voice said.

His eyelids snapped open. Without even thinking, Harry flung his arms around Hermione's shoulders, burying his face into her bushy hair. He could feel Hermione shaking underneath him, although the ward was quite warm. She couldn't return the hug as she was strapped down.

After finally letting go, Harry was startled at how white her face was.

"Harry, what...?" Hermione tried to speak, "Are you alright? Your face..."

Harry's smile vanished. "I'm fine. Hermione...do you remember anything?"

She closed her eyes for a moment. "I...well...no, that's not possible."

Her eyes flickered down to the wound on her arm, then to her clawed paw. They slowly widened. She wriggled her fingers.

"Harry, that's not...I'm not..." she tapered off, unable to say anymore.

Harry hesitated. He then nodded, his eyes shining with tears.

The silence. Harry would always remember it. Him fighting back tears, finding himself staring once again at his feet. Hermione, her mouth slightly open, disbelief turning to shock on her face. But, no matter how horrible the silence was, it wasn't awkward.

"You shouldn't have done that." Hermione finally said, her voice much higher than usual, "Hugged me. What if I'd...how did you know...Harry, I'm dangerous."

"No. No, you're not!" Harry shouted, then softer, "Listen to me, Hermione. You talked to me. I just...look, I know. I know you. I can tell, Hermione! I TRUST YOU!"

Harry didn't remember standing up, he didn't understand the sudden anger pulsing through him. Hermione looked frightened of him.

"But what if I don't trust myself?" Hermione whispered so it was barely audible.

"Well, you should!" Harry bellowed, "Because I do!"

"And how's that a good reason?" Hermione was shouting now too, "You...you, standing there, you don't understand! You're not the one strapped to a bed! You're not the one who's not even fully human anymore!" You're not the - oh, Ron!"

Harry's head whipped around and his eyes fell upon his gangly, freckled friend. He was leaning on a crutch, supporting his leg that was still in a cast, while he was lamely carrying some fresh flowers for Hermione's bedside table in his other hand.

"Harry! Hermione!" Ron gasped, "You're...you're...awake!"

"Yeah, why's that such a big surprise?" Harry asked, still seething from him and Hermione's argument.

"Harry, you've been unconscious for a week now and, well, Hermione you've been..." Ron replied, a bit shocked by Harry's snappy response.

"What?" Harry's anger finally ebbing away, "Wow...what about you? Why are you still in a cast? Couldn't Madame Pomfrey fix your leg?"

Ron sighed, "I wish. Sirius was an animagus and that's a magical transformation, so all wounds inflicted are magical too. It's kinda like...uh...the-the cuts on your face, Harry."

The room suddenly became very tense. Harry knew Ron had just skirted over the sensitive topic of Hermione's werewolf bite. Why couldn't he just say it?

"So," Ron bravely continued, trying to smooth over the tension, "she can't fix it. I'll probably have a bit of a limp forever..."

Again the conversation lapsed into silence. During the absence of talk, Dumbledore strolled through the curtains.

"Ah, we're all together at last," he beamed, "Excellent. Now, I'm sure you all have many questions."

"Yes, sir," Harry began, "What happened to Sirius?"

"Of course, Sirius!" Dumbledore answered, almost too cheerfully, "Naturally, dementors swooped upon the scene, sensing human presence when they had been told the grounds would be empty at night. But, Sirius was still a dog, so he slipped from their grasp once again. Luckily, Professor Snape gained consciousness before the dementors almost performed the kiss on all three of you and he sent them away using a patronus. Sirius was long gone by that point however."

"Also, sir, we have to tell you, Sirius, he's innocent, it was-" Harry stammered.

"Peter Pettigrew. Yes," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at Harry's confused expression, "I know. Lupin told me the whole story, and even Sirius sent me an owl. Of course it was all in code because he wasn't sure I would trust him, but I deciphered it quick enough and I fully believe this version of events."

Harry let out a sigh of relief. He really had not wanted to have to relay the events of that night to Dumbledore.

"So that's it then, sir?" Ron asked, "Pettigrew escaped, Sirius is on the run, and Professor Snape saved us?"

"Yes, that is a general summary," Dumbledore responded, "Miss Granger, you've been fairly quiet, which I know is not like you, being the inquisitive mind you are."

"Just thinking, sir..." Hermione replied, staring once again at the wound in her arm. Harry noticed she was completely human again. "Sir, can I return to Hogwarts next year?"

"Hermione!" Ron gasped.

But Harry didn't find this surprising. Last year, when everyone thought he was the Heir of Slytherin, he considered leaving. Because what if he was? What if he was hurting people without knowing it? And why stay, nobody wanted him! Hermione did, though. She knew he wasn't, she fully trusted him. That's what got him through the seclusion.

"Yes." Harry answered before Dumbledore could, "You will and you must! We'll make it work Hermione, you can take the wolfsbane potion. Snape can make it, Ron and I will help, won't we Ron?"

"Oh yeah, yeah of course!" Ron agreed belligerently.

"I believe your friends have answered the question," Dumbledore smiled, "Now, I must speak to Madame Pomfrey. It appears you are stable for the daytimes, Hermione, we may take the straps off. But, at night you must be strapped down again. I'm sorry, but that is the precautions."

And with that, he stood up and left to find Madame Pomfrey.

"I guess I should go too," Ron muttered nervously, "I'm-I'm glad you two are ok." He, too, limped away.

"Hermione, I-it's going to be ok, I know you think it won't, but it'll get better, you'll see," Harry stuttered once Ron had left. He grabbed her hand, gave it a quick squeeze, and tried for an encouraging smile that he doubted made her feel any better. She even attempted to return it, but it was more of a grimace.

"Potter! OUT! You're free to go!" Madame Pomfrey bustled in.

Harry began to trudge out, turning for one last look at Hermione. She was staring at the bite again.


End file.
